


A deeper Layer

by WordsInTimeAndSpace



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-22
Updated: 2014-12-22
Packaged: 2018-03-02 22:03:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2827634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordsInTimeAndSpace/pseuds/WordsInTimeAndSpace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor and Rose plan to make a harmless trip to a snow covered planet, but it doesn't take long for things to go awry. Thankfully the Doctor is wearing pants.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A deeper Layer

Rose Tyler took a deep breath and leapt out of the TARDIS. She grinned when her boots sunk into the soft snow until it covered her ankles, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and enjoying the crunching under her feet.

 

Hearing a chuckle behind her, she whirled around and saw the Doctor standing in the door frame, watching her with an amused smile.

 

“Come on, what are you waiting for?” she asked, holding out her hand to him.

 

The Doctor grinned before he stepped out of his ship, pulling the door closed behind him. “Blimey, who would've thought you get that excited over a bit of snow. I should've taken you here a lot sooner.”

 

“Well, this isn't just snow, is it? This is beautiful!” Rose said. They had parked the TARDIS on top of a hill, which sloped down slightly in front of them and ended at the edge of a forest, the dark green fir trees covered in white. A few clouds scattered across the pale blue sky, and occasionally a couple of snowflakes slowly tumbled down to the ground.

 

“Yeah, it is,” the Doctor said as he stepped at her side, his hands buried in the pockets of his coat.

 

“We don't get snow like this in London,” Rose mused, burrowing her nose deeper in her scarf when a gust of wind swept across the hill. She turned towards the Doctor, frowning.

 

“Are you sure you don't need a scarf or a hat? I'm freezing just looking at you.”

 

“Nah. Superior biology, remember?” he grinned, and Rose rolled her eyes.

 

“You could at least wear something other than your trainers. They'll be drenched in a few minutes.”

 

“But I soniced them waterproof! It's a new setting! Really, Rose, I'm fine. Come on!”

 

He wiggled his fingers until she laughed and clasped her hand in his. Smiling, the Doctor led her down the hill towards the forest. When he started to talk, Rose looked up at him, her cheeks red from the cold.

 

“So, we’re on Voon, a little planet not too far from Earth,” the Doctor began. “It's actually one of the first inhabited planets you humans stumble upon once you start exploring space. Not yet though, we're a few hundred years too early.”

 

“But there are people living here?”

 

“Yep, but not a lot. It's very sparsely inhabited; the weather makes it rough for most life forms. This is actually considered summer here, and it only lasts for about two months.”

 

Rose shivered, pressing her nose into the sleeve of his coat. “Okay, doesn't sound like a place I would enjoy for very long.”

 

“Well, the few species living here adapted to the cold. It doesn't really bother them. And, you've got to admit, while being a little uncomfortable it is the perfect spot to get us a Christmas tree!”

 

“Yeah, it is,” Rose laughed, answering the Doctor's grin with a smile on her own. “Although you could've parked the TARDIS a little closer to the forest. How are we gonna get the tree up the hill?”

 

The Doctor scrunched his nose up and shot a glance back over his shoulder. “It's not that steep,” he said.

 

“Right, I'll tell you that again when you're halfway up the hill with the tree, gasping for breath.”

 

“Not gonna happen,” the Doctor huffed, giving Rose an affronted look. The corners of her mouth curled upwards as she tried to suppress a smile.

 

“Superior Time Lord strength?” she teased.

 

“Yes, Rose Tyler! Don't say that like you don't believe me!”

 

Laughing, Rose slipped her hand out of his and quickly took a few broad steps away from him. She turned and saw the Doctor watching her with an expression that she had secretly named 'The Oncoming Pout'. Giving him a tongue-touched grin, she bent down in the snow.

 

“You think your superior Time Lord-ness can win you a snowball fight?” she asked, and a second later her first snowball hit the Doctor's neck, who let out a shriek before his eyes lightened up in defiance.

 

“Oh, you just wait!” he shouted, bending down to form a snowball on his own which Rose escaped with a quick jump to the side. The next one hit her sleeve, and soon she had to admit that the Doctor's reflexes quickly helped him to gain the upper hand. She stumbled, not being used to walk in the thick snow, while the Doctor was as quick on his feet as ever.

 

“Do you give up?” the Doctor asked, a grin in his voice, as he finally hit her right in the face. Rose shrieked as the snow trickled down her collar, cold and wet, and wiped her face clean with a laugh.

 

“Never!” she yelled, jumping backwards as the Doctor bent down again to gather more snow.

 

But she faltered as the ground suddenly sloped downwards, and she half fell and half stumbled down a short hillside. She heard the Doctor yell her name just as she finally reached the ground and regained her footing.

 

Rose let out a breath in relief, but barely had time to realize the ground felt different than before. Just as she whirled around, seeing the Doctor's eyes widening in shock, the ice cracked under her feet and she was swallowed by coldness.

 

The water was all around her, freezing and dark and biting her skin, so painful she wanted to scream. It filled her mouth and soaked her clothes, tugging her deeper and deeper. She desperately kicked her legs, trying to get back to the surface, but she couldn't see, couldn't tell which direction was up and which was down. Soon her head felt dizzy, her limbs numb, and her mind slowly slipped into darkness.

 

She barely registered the tugging on her numb body and how she broke through the surface; all she knew was that there was suddenly air around her. It was freezing but so good in her burning lungs when she finally managed to suck in a breath after coughing out the water in her mouth. Lying there on the ground, gasping for air, she heard voices around her, muffled by the ringing in her ears. She heard the Doctor's shouting, angry and upset, and she desperately wanted to tell him that she was okay. But she couldn't move, couldn't open her eyes, and when the darkness returned she let it overwhelm her.

 

~~~

 

As Rose slowly regained consciousness, the first thing her numb senses registered was the cold; a cold that seemed to be all around her, reaching deep into her core. The next thing was a voice. A familiar voice, desperate and pleading, calling her name. It was the Doctor's, she noticed after a few seconds, and the thought alone gave her the strength to fight back the fog inside her head. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a whimper tumbled over her lips.

 

“Rose?” the Doctor called again, his voice getting louder and more insistent as she slowly woke up. She finally managed to open her eyes and blinked until the Doctor's face appeared in her field of vision, still fuzzy, but clear enough that she saw his face lighting up with a big grin.

 

“Hello there!” He smiled, and she tried to smile back, but her face felt numb and she couldn't gather the strength. “Hi,” she croaked instead, and promptly burst out into another round of coughing. Her lungs hurt by the time she calmed down, but she felt more alert, and for the first time since waking up managed to take in their surroundings.

 

They were in a small room with wooden walls and floors. There was a door at one side, closed at the moment, and she was lying in a small bed at the opposite side of the room. No sheets, just a thin mattress. The Doctor crouched over her, his worried eyes searching for her gaze.

 

“Where are we?” she asked, her voice weak, and the Doctor's face darkened.

 

“The locals weren't too excited that you took a swim in their sacred lake,” he said, and added at her confused look, “We're in prison. They threw us into this cell just before you woke up. Do you remember what happened before?”

 

Rose frowned, thinking for a moment, remembering the dark and the cold as she had broken into the ice. She shivered and managed a weak nod. “Guess you won the snowball fight.”

 

“Nah, it was definitely a draw,” the Doctor said distractedly, his eyes roaming over her body. He moved one hand up to cup her cheek. “Rose, we have to get you out of your clothes, alright?”

 

Only then she noticed that she was still wearing her wet clothes, everything except for her heavy coat. The remaining fabric clung to her skin, not soaking but still freezing and uncomfortable. Rose scrunched up her nose and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

 

“I don't have anything else to wear, have I?” she asked, rubbing her arms and letting her gaze wander through the small room. “I don't really fancy ending up naked in a prison cell. Again.”

 

The Doctor moved to support her back as she trembled, and fixed her with a serious gaze. “We don't know how long we'll be stuck here. You'll get sick, if not worse, if you stay in these clothes. Come on!”

 

Rose hesitated, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “Can't we just break out and leg it back to the TARDIS?” she asked, but her voice quivered, her shoulders shaking from the effort to keep her upright, and she knew any protest would be useless.

 

The Doctor let out a sigh, carefully guiding her back to lie on the bed. “Rose, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before, remember?”

 

“But last time you are naked too. It wasn't just me,” she mumbled, and the Doctor stared at her for a few more seconds with an unreadable expression.

 

“Layers,” he then blurted out, a light blush spreading on his cheeks, and Rose blinked in confusion. “I'm wearing layers, like usual. You know, t-shirt and button- up and suit jacket and coat. Enough for both of us. Now get out of these clothes before you catch pneumonia.”

 

Rose felt her cheeks heat up, but finally nodded. “Alright,” she said, and moved her trembling hands to open her shirt. Her fingers felt numb and stiff, and she struggled with the tiny buttons until the Doctor rested his hands on hers and gently guided them out of the way.

 

“Let me?” he asked softly, and Rose raised her head to look at him. He watched her with a tender expression, his eyes warm and concerned, and she nodded, closing her eyes. The Doctor carefully opened her shirt and slipped it off her shoulders.

 

“Can you feel this?” the Doctor asked, trailing his fingers along her bare arms, from her shoulders down to her hands where he entangled her fingers with his.

 

“A little,” Rose whispered, suppressing a shiver. She bit her lip, trying to ignore the images popping into her head. The Doctor undressing her, touching her with gentle fingers, stroking and leaving a trail of warmth on her skin; things she would imagine late at night, alone in her bedroom on the TARDIS. But now her skin was numb from the cold, and her nerves barely registered his touch.

 

“Everything okay? Are you dizzy again?” the Doctor asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

 

“Yeah, I'm fine,” she said, and opened her eyes just in time to see the Doctor slipping out of his suit jacket before he quickly opened the buttons of his oxford, leaving him in a white t-shirt.

 

He sat back down next to her, moving his hands to her hips. With one swift movement he pulled her vest top over her head. Rose blushed, but the Doctor didn't hesitate and instead reached for the clasp of her bra on her back.

 

Rose froze, and his movements stilled right before he could open the clasp. “I'm, er... it would be better to get you out of all clothes. I'm sorry,” he said, his voice hoarse, his gaze fixed to a spot somewhere over her head. “I'm not gonna look, promise.”

 

“Okay,” Rose said, letting out a breath and forcing herself to relax.

 

The Doctor opened the clasp of her bra, and as soon as the fabric fell off her shoulders he wrapped her into his oxford and quickly closed the buttons. Rose burrowed her nose in the collar of the shirt, breathing in his scent and enjoying the feeling of dry fabric against her skin. The Doctor cleared his throat next to her, still not looking at her directly, and Rose hoped he hadn't noticed how fast her heart was beating.

 

“Better?” the Doctor asked, draping his suit jacket over her shoulders, and Rose gave him a grateful smile as she nodded. The Doctor moved to tie off her boots, taking off her socks at the same time, and then moved his hands to the clasp of her jeans. He hesitated for a second and Rose groaned, covering her eyes with her hand.

 

“Go on, just get it over with,” she said.

 

“Okay, just a second.”

 

She heard the rustling of clothing before the Doctor's hands returned to her stomach, flipping open the button of her jeans before peeling the damp fabric off her legs. Something warm and dry fell into her lap.

 

“Right, I'll turn around and you can just change into my, err...”

 

The Doctor trailed off, his voice slightly high pitched, and Rose blushed an even deeper shade of red when she saw he had discarded his boxers for her. Guessing that he was not in the mood for protests, she quickly wiggled out of her knickers and pulled them on, relieved to be out of her wet and cold clothes despite the circumstances.

 

“I really hope these are clean,” she said, and the Doctor turned back around to her, a flush on his cheeks.

 

“Of course! Sorry, I just figured my trousers wouldn't fit.”

 

“It's alright, Doctor. Thank you,” Rose said, smiling, and she saw how the Doctor's features relaxed.

 

A shiver went through her, and she raised her knees to her chest to wrap her arms around them. The Doctor sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. Rose relaxed into the embrace, leaning her head against his chest.

 

“How are you feeling?” he mumbled into her hair.

 

“Better, I think. Still cold.”

 

The Doctor reached for his coat, draped it over both of them, and Rose snuggled closer into his embrace. He carefully trailed his hands over her body, rubbing her skin, and Rose felt how the feeling slowly returned to her limbs as her body warmed up. She let out a content sigh, wiggling her toes and laughing when the Doctor pinched her side to check if she could feel it.

 

“How come your clothes are dry?” she asked, raising her head to look at his face.

 

“Well, I wasn't the one to pull you out of the water. The locals were right there after you broke through the ice. I told you they're adapted to the cold, right? Jumping into that freezing lake was probably like jumping into a pool for them. It was good they were there.” He paused for a second. “They haven’t had contact with off- worlders yet; that’s why we’re in this cell. What you did was blasphemous to them, but it wasn’t dangerous.”

 

“But I'm alright now, yeah?”

 

“Yes, you should be. I already checked, no frostbite at your fingers or toes. Your body temperature didn't reach a critical level, and it's nearly back to normal now. You may catch a cold, especially since this cell is a bit chilly. Takes a toll on the immune system. But otherwise you're fine.”

 

Rose hummed, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck. She pressed her body close to his, wrapping her arms around his waist.

 

“Don't feel cold anymore,” she mumbled as the Doctor entangled his legs with hers and gently stroked a hand along her back. “Good,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. Suddenly feeling the exhaustion of the past few hours, Rose slowly drifted off to sleep, the Doctor's soothing voice in her ear.

 

~~~

 

The Doctor startled her out of her sleep when he gently shook her shoulder. “Rose? Wake up,” he said, his voice low, and Rose opened her eyes, sleepily blinking up at him. She was disorientated for a second, but after she let her eyes roam over his half- dressed state she remembered what had happened. Blushing slightly, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, shivering when the Doctor's coat dropped from her shoulders and exposed her to the chilly air in their prison cell. The Doctor sat at the edge of the bed, one hand still on her shoulder. His thumb stroked gently over her forearm.

 

“How are you feeling?” he asked, and Rose took a moment to think about it.

 

“Bit cold, but not freezing. Muscles are stiff,” she mused as she stretched her arms and grimaced. “But I think I'm alright.”

 

The Doctor broke out into a relieved smile and pulled her into a quick hug. “You slept for about two hours. Body temperature is back to normal, healthy 36.9 degrees.”

 

Rose nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder, letting out a content hum. “Mhm, you feel warmer than usual though.”

 

“Well, yes. I can regulate my body temperature, and someone had to keep you warm,” the Doctor said right before he pulled back, grinning at her. “Now, I hate to wake you up, but if I interpret his breathing patterns right the guard in front of our cell is currently dead asleep, so we should take the chance and get out of here. You up for that?”

 

“Yeah, think so,” Rose said and the Doctor nodded, wrapping his coat around her as she stood. Rose slipped back into her clammy boots, deciding to leave the rest of her clothes behind, and took the Doctor's hand as he approached the door. He raised his sonic screwdriver at the lock until it opened with a click. They shared a grin as he shot a glance back over his shoulder before they quietly slipped out of the cell.

 

~~~

 

A swift jog back to the TARDIS and a hot shower later, Rose was wrapped in a fluffy blanket, wearing her favourite pink pyjamas, and sipped on a mug of hot chocolate. The crackling fire in the fireplace next to the couch warmed her face and bathed the library in orange light. With a content sigh, Rose leaned back into the cushions. When the door opened and the Doctor slipped into the room she looked up, greeting him with a smile. He had showered as well and was now wearing a fresh suit, all his layers back in place. Rose couldn't help but grin at the thought.

 

“Wearing pants again?” she teased. The Doctor slumped down on the couch next to her, shooting her a grin.

 

“Who says I'm usually wearing pants? Maybe today was a fluke.”

 

Rose giggled. “You wore pants last Christmas!”

 

“Well, that was a different body, wasn’t it? New body, new preferences.”

 

“Oh, in that case... that explains a lot,” Rose mused, hiding her smile behind her mug.

 

The Doctor crooked an eyebrow at her. “What, really?”

 

“Yeah. You know, I've always wondered how you can fit boxers under these tight trousers of yours.”

 

The Doctor choked on his tea, and Rose laughed and patted his back as he coughed. He quickly regained his composure, setting the mug back on the table in front of them.

 

“Is that a thing you've been thinking about regularly, Rose Tyler?” he asked.

 

“Might have,” she said, ignoring the Doctor's smug grin, and quickly changed the subject. “We still don't have a Christmas tree!”

 

“Well, we could always get one out of the garden on the TARDIS.”

 

“Yeah, but where's the fun in that?”

 

The Doctor's face darkened. “It's probably more fun than you nearly drowning or dying from hypothermia,” he said, his voice hard.

 

Rose's brow furrowed and she scooted closer to him until she could rest her head on his shoulder. She reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze, relieved when he squeezed right back.

 

“I'm okay, Doctor.”

 

He was still for a second before he let out a breath and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

 

“Yeah, I know. But you scared me today,” he mumbled into her hair.

 

“We can just buy a tree, like everyone else,” she suggested after a moment of silence. The Doctor scrunched up his nose.

 

“The domestic approach.”

 

“Yep. I guess logging our own tree is out of question now, is it? Probably safer this way, with our lifestyle.”

 

“Possibly,” the Doctor chuckled.

 

“So, was that a yes?”

 

“Yes, if you want. We can do that tomorrow.”

 

Rose hummed, shifting on the couch until the Doctor could embrace her properly. She rested her head against his chest, feeling his double heartbeat under her cheek. The sound, once strange and unfamiliar, was comforting by now.

 

“Okay. Tomorrow then,” she said, and let her eyes fall shut.

 


End file.
